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Charlotte County Utilities residential customers are now eligible to participate in a toilet rebate program aimed at conserving water.The toilet rebate program, which is cooperatively funded by the county and the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Peace River Basin Board, offers rebates to replace high-volume toilets with water-efficient, low-flow toilets or high-efficiency toilets. Low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush or less while high-efficiency toilets…

Governor Rick Scott reappointed Carlos Beruff and George Mann to the "Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard/. Beruff represents Manatee County and Mann represents Polk County.Beruff, of Bradenton, is owner and president of Medallion Homes Gulf Coast, Inc. Mann, of Polk City, is a retired business development manager for Treatt USA. Both men are reappointed for a term beginning March 8, 2013, and…

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Wendy J. Giesy-Griffin to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Governing Board today.Giesy-Griffin of Lithia is a retired environmental consultant. She was appointed to succeed Hugh M. Gramling, and her term ends March 1, 2016.Giesy-Griffin consulted with Metis Environmental Services beginning in 1996. Prior to that, she was an environmental administrator with the Florida Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1985, and an…

A Polk County builder and landscaper are being recognized for incorporating water conservation and water-wise landscaping into a model home’s design with the county’s first Water-Wise Landscape Award.Tapia Construction and McDowell Landscape Services took first place for the Leonardo IV model in the Polk County Fall Parade of Homes. The Parade of Homes is being held through Oct. 28, 4 6 p.m. during the week and 11 a.m. 6 p.m. on the weekend. Visitors can see the model at…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is launching a new public awareness campaign in the Crystal River/Kings Bay area that will help residents have green lawns, not green water.The multimedia campaign, which was developed to address increasing nitrate levels in Crystal River and Kings Bay, focuses on teaching Citrus and Marion county residents about proper fertilizer use.Excess fertilizer applied to public parks, golf courses and lawns can percolate through the…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ is inviting the public to comment on proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Wimauma at a public workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 20. The workshop will be held from 6 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. at SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin.Minimum levels are established to protect lakes from impacts associated with groundwater and surface water withdrawals…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum and guidance levels for Lake Marion in Levy County.A public workshop will be held Wednesday, Oct. 11, at the Williston Community Center, 50 Northwest Main Street, Williston. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.A minimum flow or level (MFL) is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing…

A Low Impact Development (LID) workshop will be featured on Sept. 6 during Florida’s 31th Annual Conference on Water Management at the Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort in Tarpon Springs. The conference is being held Sept. 6-8.The LID workshop will provide builders and developers an open forum with government stormwater regulators. The workshop will also allow builders and developers to learn from their contemporaries who have successfully implemented LID practices.Paul…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is seeking public input about proposed minimum levels for Lake Marion in Levy County.A public workshop will be held Monday, Dec. 12, at the Williston Community Center, 50 Northwest Main Street, Williston. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.A minimum flow or level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources and/or environment. The District Governing Board sets these limits as…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District's(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://watermatters.org Governing Board will hold its monthly meeting 9 a.m. March 30 at the "Hillsborough Community College Trinkle Center (Plant City Campus of Hillsborough Community College)":http://www.hccfl.edu/pc.aspx, 1206 N. Park Road, Plant City. The "Governing Board(Governing Board)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/about/governingboard holds some of its regular monthly…

The Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program at the District turned 20 this year. The SWIM Program currently manages more than 100 projects throughout the District’s 16-county region. These projects focus on restoring degraded habitats and reducing pollution entering the SWIM priority water bodies. “The District’s SWIM Program, with the help of local, state and federal partners, has been successful in helping water bodies recover from years of pollution…

A change in the global weather pattern in 2016 meant residents also saw a change in rainfall patterns. Most areas of the District saw above-average rainfall in the first part of the year caused by a mild El Nino. But the development of a La Nina cycle caused drier-than-normal conditions the second half of the year. The La Nina event is expected to dissipate by February, and climatic conditions are expected to turn to neutral conditions. That means rainfall patterns aren’t…

Gov. Charlie Crist recently appointed a new member to the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.Ronald E. Oakley of Zephyrhills was appointed to succeed Talmadge G. “Jerry” Rice. His term began June 29 and ends March 1, 2011. Oakley is the executive vice president of Oakley Groves, Inc. He will also assume responsibility as chair ex officio of the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board.Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers…

table(webalert). |Who:|Conservation-minded volunteers and Southwest "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":/ staff.||*What:*|"National Public Lands Day(National Public Lands Day)":http://www.publiclandsday.org/ volunteer cleanup event of the District's "Potts Preserve(Potts Preserve)":/recreation/areas/potts.html in Citrus CountyVolunteers will trim branches from walking trails and pick up trash in and around the River…

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) invites the public to a workshop on Thursday, April 27 at 5 p.m. at Crystal River Middle School, located at 344 N.E. Crystal Street in Crystal River. The purpose of the workshop is to allow for public comment on the proposed minimum flow for the Crystal River/Kings Bay system in Citrus County. The Florida Legislature requires the District to set minimum flows and levels for priority water bodies within the District.…

District leaders recently attended the dedication of Water Works Park in the City of Tampa, which included the restoration of Ulele Springs. The 5-acre park is part of the city’s plan to revitalize the Riverwalk District and Tampa Heights. Ulele Springs is a unique natural spring systems within downtown Tampa. Initiated in 2012, the Ulele Springs Restoration project is a  cooperative funding partnership between the District, city and Ecosphere Restoration…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us will be conducting "controlled, prescribed burns" during June, July, August and September on the District's "Upper Hillsborough Tract(Upper Hillsborough Tract)":/recreation/areas/uh-upperhill.html property in Pasco and Polk counties.The Upper Hillsborough Tract is located approximately five miles east of Zephyrhills. Approximately 1,000 acres of land…

The "Southwest Florida Water Management District(Southwest Florida Water Management District)":http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us will be conducting ""controlled, prescribed burns"(Prescribed Fire - a Tool of Nature)":/publications/files/prescribed_fire.pdf during June and July on the District's Annutteliga Hammock property in Hernando County.The "Annutteliga Hammock (Annutteliga Hammock)":/recreation/areas/annuteligahammock.html property is located in the Royal Highlands area of…

 The Annutteliga Hammock is an important area for groundwater recharge into Florida's primary drinking water source, the Floridan aquifer system. Situated in the Brooksville Ridge, which runs from northern Citrus County down into central Pasco County, the lands are slightly higher in elevation than the adjacent coastal or central portions of the state. The area within the Brooksville Ridge typically has well-drained soils, karst limerock outcroppings and is dominated by…

Water Wise Winners Two homebuilders each walked away with the equivalent of an “Academy Award” for incorporating water conservation landscaping into their designs. The Gibraltar Homes’ Caterina III model received the Water-Wise Landscaping Award in Manatee County and the Lee Wetherington Homes’ Opal model received the top prize for Sarasota County. The winners were each presented with a plaque at the 2004 Parade of Homes Awards Gala of the Home Builders…